MS-CC Hackathon at Fort Valley State University

February 3-4, 2026
1005 State University Drive
Fort Valley, GA 31030

MS-CC students posing for a group photo.

The MS-CC Environmental Science Hackathon at Fort Valley State University (FVSU) invites FVSU students to tackle real-world sustainability and rural resilience challenges using data science, AI, and open-source tools. Led in partnership with ESIIL, this two-day, hands-on event empowers interdisciplinary student teams to work with real datasets, develop meaningful prototypes, and build the technical skills needed to address climate, agriculture, and community resilience issues in Middle Georgia.

Participants will choose from project themes rooted in Fort Valley’s strengths and regional priorities—such as smart farming, small-ruminant health, or rural infrastructure mapping—and use Python, Jupyter, GitHub, and open-data workflows to design impactful solutions. Guided by mentors from MS-CC institutions, cyberinfrastructure specialists, and faculty experts, students will refine problem statements, build dashboards or lightweight machine-learning models, and deliver polished demos to a panel of judges.

Across two days, students will:

This hackathon builds capacity for the future STEM workforce by creating a supportive, skill-building environment where students explore the intersection of data, sustainability, and community problem-solving. Top projects may be highlighted at MS-CC events and connected to future opportunities, including internships, research collaborations, and continued mentorship.

Event Schedule

Day 1
Morning
  • Welcome & Introductions
  • Theme & Challenge briefing
  • Mentor introductions & expectations
  • Ice-breaker & team formation (if not pre-formed)
  • Technical setup tutorial (e.g., GitHub, Jupyter, dataset orientation)
Afternoon
  • Ideation & problem statement refinement
  • Lunch/networking
  • Work block with mentors roaming
  • Checkpoint #1: Teams share their plan & deliverables
Evening
  • Work continues (snack break)
  • Optional lightning talk/tech tip session
  • Wrap up Day 1: quick stand-up tomorrow plan
Day 2
Morning
  • Quick recap & day plan
  • Work block
  • Checkpoint #2: Teams share progress, obstacles, pivot if needed
Afternoon
  • Final work sprint
  • Teams submit project (code repo, presentation/demo)
  • Demo presentations by each team (e.g., 10-15 min each)
  • Judging session & awards
  • Closing remarks, next-steps & networking

Registration

Registration coming soon.

COVID-19 Information

The COVID-19 situation in the United States is fluid, and we continue to monitor developments that may impact attendees for the MS-CC Hackathon. In order to stay current, check this page periodically leading up to the workshop.

Workshop participants will need to abide by Fort Valley State University’s COVID-19 guidelines while participating in the Hackathon. 

Fort Valley State University follows the recommendations from the Georgia Department of Health (DPH), as well as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Events Code of Conduct

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MS-CC Hackathon at Fort Valley State University

Registration coming soon.